Worst Zoo Names

Arizona Docent

Arizona Docent

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
Which zoos (or wildlife parks or aquariums) have awful names that should be changed? In my opinion, there are two reasons to define a name as awful. The first is if it is just too long. I think anything longer than two words is too much. The second is if the name itself does not represent the type of facility. I will post the first reply and if you can follow my example by posting the name and your suggested replacement.
 
There are several American zoos that are three words long because they are named after the park they are in. Just name it after the city instead is my advice. Not only will this shorten it to two words (unless the city name is two words) but it will also let people outside the region know at a glance where exactly it is. Here are a few, but there are lots more.

Reid Park Zoo (change it to Tucson Zoo).
Cameron Park Zoo (change it to Waco Zoo).
Dickerson Park Zoo (change it to Springfield Zoo).
Lowry Park Zoo (change it to Tampa Zoo).
Lincoln Park Zoo (change it to Chicago Zoo).
Woodland Park Zoo (change it to Seattle Zoo).
Seneca Park Zoo (change it to Rochester Zoo).
... and so on.
 
Taronga Western Plains Zoo (why not just Dubbo Zoo?)
Shambhala Animal Kingdom (formerly Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve, how about just Cairns Safari Park?)
 
Here are others that are completely oddball for various reasons.

1. Arizona Sonora Desert Museum (way too long and it is not a museum).
2. CuriOdyssey (totally bizarre and meaningless - a failed attempt to change from the previous ok but not great name Coyote Point Museum).
3. San Diego Zoo's Safari Park (changed from a previous name that was too long to a new name that is still too long).
4. Living Desert Zoo and Gardens (too long and gets confused with The Living Desert).

And now my brilliant suggestions ;)

1. Wild Sonora (choice a) or Desert Experience (choice b)
2. Bay Wildlife (choice a) or Bay Nature Center (choice b)
3. San Diego Safari (choice a) or Safari Park (choice b)
4. New Mexico Wild (choice a) or Desert Experience (choice b if not taken by facility number one)
 
Marine World Africa USA has got to be the absolute worst name ever. It has also been known as The New Marine World Theme Park and currently as Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. Just stick with one crap name!!!
 
I don't necessarily have a problem with long names, Western Plains Zoo is fine, but adding Taronga in front was stupid. I tend to call long name zoos by their anagram: TWPZ, WORZ (my fav) and SDWAP (which I certainly prefer to SDZSP which is harder to say).

NZ zoos all have pretty basic names, although I don't like:

-Kingdom of Zion (stupid name that doesn't tell you anything useful, except perhaps the owner's level or pretentiousness)
-National Kiwi Centre (misleading name on several levels, Hokitika Wildlife Centre would be better)
-Kelly Tarlton's SEA LIFE Aquarium (why must it be called SEA LIFE? Will make no difference to local visitors and will likely turn off tourists)

I can't think of any others I take issue with.
 
Jabiru96 said:
Taronga Western Plains Zoo (why not just Dubbo Zoo?)
Shambhala Animal Kingdom (formerly Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve, how about just Cairns Safari Park?)
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I like calling it Western Plains Zoo, it creates a good point of difference.

CWSR sounds way better than the new name, which makes me think the place is a bit of a shambles.
 
zooboy28 said:
NZ zoos all have pretty basic names, although I don't like:

-Kingdom of Zion (stupid name that doesn't tell you anything useful, except perhaps the owner's level or pretentiousness)
-National Kiwi Centre (misleading name on several levels, Hokitika Wildlife Centre would be better)
-Kelly Tarlton's SEA LIFE Aquarium (why must it be called SEA LIFE? Will make no difference to local visitors and will likely turn off tourists)

I like calling it Western Plains Zoo, it creates a good point of difference.

CWSR sounds way better than the new name, which makes me think the place is a bit of a shambles.
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*The Kingdom Of Zion is the worst zoo name in NZ by a long shot.

*The Hokitika Kiwi Centre And Aquarium would be a better name I feel (I don't think long names are especially bad if they say what the place is; and you need to have "kiwi" in the name because that's what brings the people through the door), but then you've also got the Tongariro National Trout Centre, Turangi National Freshwater Aquarium, National Aquarium (the Napier one), the International Antarctic Centre (!).....

*I don't have a problem with the Kelly Tarltons SEA LIFE Aquarium. That's their brand name after all, and its not going to put off the general public in NZ.

*I just call WPZ "Dubbo"

*Shambala is a terrible name. My first reaction is also the similarity to "shambles"
 
The World Primate Centre (Twycross Zoo. UK) For many of those that know this Zoo well, their self-styled title seems very unjustified.
 
Pertinax said:
The World Primate Centre (Twycross Zoo. UK) For many of those that know this Zoo well, their self-styled title seems very unjustified.
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would you say this is the worst name in the UK, or would that be Africa Alive! - does anyone actually add the exclamation mark when writing its name?
 
Chlidonias said:
would you say this is the worst name in the UK, or would that be Africa Alive! - does anyone actually add the exclamation mark when writing its name?
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Or would it be Noah's Ark Zoo Farm? This fails for several reasons, but especially for the term "zoo farm", which is surely a sin.
 
some from Australia:

Marineland Melanesia -- er, not in Melanesia!

Reef HQ -- sounds like a dive shop

Pet Porpoise Pool -- just makes me think of Simple Jack and his stutter

OZ.e. Wildlife -- just bad
 
Chlidonias said:
Africa Alive! - does anyone actually add the exclamation mark when writing its name?
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I think it is an awful name. I'm strongly in favour of calling a spade a spade and really don't like names which don't include the word 'zoo' or 'wildlife park' or 'wildlife centre' where appropriate.
 
Chlidonias said:
I may have a winner: Land Of Little Animals in Ireland. (Now closed, but it still counts!)
Land of Little Animals (Closed) Gallery
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Ouch! And judging by the pictures, it was every bit as wonderful as the name suggests it might have been....

My local zoo, in Hotham Park, Bognor Regis, was for a period prior to its closure in the early 1980s, lumbered with the name "Zootopia", which was faily horrendous on pretty much every level.

Not an enormous fan of "Marwell Wildlife" either. Wildlife what?
 
Good Zoo - Some of the visitors think we're self promoting our zoo by calling it "Good". I would change it to simply Wheeling Zoo or Oglebay Park Zoo, but some people pronounce Oglebay wrong anyway (oh-gill-bee for those of you that don't know).
 
MrOkapi said:
Good Zoo - Some of the visitors think we're self promoting our zoo by calling it "Good". I would change it to simply Wheeling Zoo or Oglebay Park Zoo, but some people pronounce Oglebay wrong anyway (oh-gill-bee for those of you that don't know).
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Or you all could just use the boy's whole name, rather than just his last name.
 
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1. Arizona Sonora Desert Museum (way too long and it is not a museum).
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Zoos don't typically have an entire exhibit on geology. It many not be in a traditional form, but it is still a museum.
 
MrOkapi said:
Good Zoo - Some of the visitors think we're self promoting our zoo by calling it "Good". I would change it to simply Wheeling Zoo or Oglebay Park Zoo, but some people pronounce Oglebay wrong anyway (oh-gill-bee for those of you that don't know).
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Good Zoo is the one I was trying to think of earlier, but all I could remember was BestZOO in the Netherlands (named after the town of Best).
 
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